ORLANDO, Fla. — Yarnell Sampson spoke alongside civil rights attorney Ben Crump Monday morning. Yarnell is the father of Tyre Sampson, the teen who fell to his death from Orlando's FreeFall ride in March.
Sampson responded to the findings in the 14-year-old boy’s recently released autopsy report, saying "he deserved to be respected more than what they're giving him."
What You Need To Know
- The medical examiner determined the death accidental, and cause was blunt force trauma
Sampson spoke near ICON Park in Orlando, along with his attorney, who is known for trying civil rights cases and personal injury cases.
"The reason we're here is to make sure nobody else goes through the same thing down the road," Yarnell said.
The Orlando FreeFall drop tower remains closed, months after the teen was killed. On March 24, Tyre fell to his death from the 430-foot thrill ride.
In the autopsy report, the medical examiner determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma; it also states that the death was by accident.
Tyre's family and others are calling for the ride to be torn down. Sampson would also like a permanent memorial for his son in place of the ride.
Yarnell said he came to visit the site on Father's Day, which is also his birthday, but felt empty when he saw the makeshift memorial was gone.
"I was thinking I was gonna come up here and see all this memorial teddy bears and stuff like that and that was gonna be my comfort zone. But when I got up here, I just thought everybody’s just abandoned him and everybody care about him no more and there’s no more love. I felt empty," he said.
Orlando Slingshot, which is under the ride's operating group, said the memorial was taken down a few weeks ago. Officials said they cleaned the area and sent the memorial items to the families' representatives.
However, Crump said they were told a permanent memorial would go in its place.
"Tyre Sampson matters. His life matters. His legacy matters," Crump said during the press conference Monday.
In April, Yarnell Sampson appeared at ICON Park to speak about the tragedy.
“When I found out that was my child, it took the breath out of me. It took the…took some life out of me as well. It just made me numb and helpless,” Yarnell Sampson said then.
The families' attorneys filed a lawsuit in late April, targeting several companies linked to Orlando FreeFall. The suit claims they failed to make height and weight restrictions known when Tyre was well over the limit.
A previous report from engineers stated the ride’s sensors had been adjusted manually, to double the size of the ride’s seat restraints. It, therefore, states that Sampson was not secured properly.
Yarnell's lawyers believe the seats were adjusted so bigger riders could go on, arguing they "put profits over safety." Yarnell said he wants to know who made that call.
"We don't know how far that chain of command went up. So I want to know the truth. That's what I'm here for," he said.
The attorney representing the ride's operator released a statement in response to that autopsy report, saying:
“The loss of Tyre Sampson was a tragic accident. We continue to communicate and cooperate with representatives of Tyre’s family, as well as the Department of Agriculture. We are devoted to working with our lawmakers in making lasting safety changes in the amusement park industry,” wrote attorney Trevor Arnold.
In a statement released Monday, they also said they'll continue sending memorial items the family's way, but did not say if a permanent memorial will be put in place.